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Second round of COVID-19 restaurant vouchers ahead of reopening

Second round of COVID-19 restaurant vouchers ahead of reopening
Apr 21 2021 Share

With the speculative date of restaurant and bar reopening being set for mid-May, government authorities are planning to issue a second round of COVID-19 vouchers as the days get closer. Matthew Pace, a spokesperson for the Association of Catering Establishments (ACE), said that even though the vouchers would not be available on the first day of reopening, the government is hoping to issue them within weeks.

The reopening will likely not occur before Mother’s Day on 9th May. The second round of vouchers was postponed from January due to a spike in COVID-19 cases, with the government stating that it will issue them only when it is safe to do so. The vouchers will be broken down as such: €60 allotted per person for accommodation and restaurants, with €40 for retail outlets. They will be broken down into €10 and €15 denominations, unlike the previous rounds’ €20 vouchers.

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Derek Chauvin found guilty on all counts for George Floyd murder

Derek Chauvin found guilty on all counts for George Floyd murder
Apr 21 2021 Share

George Floyd’s death in May 2020 after being restrained beneath police officer Derek Chauvin’s knee shocked the entire world, sparking protests by Black Lives Matter activists and the #ICan’tBreathe hashtag. Around a year later, the jury has reached a verdict in the murder trial of Chauvin, finding him guilty of three charges: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. He is facing up to 40 years in prison.

Jurors heard testimony from 45 witnesses, ranging from police officers, doctors and bystanders, with layers making final statements on April 19th. Prosecutor Steve Schleicher described Chauvin’s actions as ‘murder’ and urged the jury to use ‘common sense’. Second-degree murder prison sentence is 40 years, third degree murder 25 years, and manslaughter 10 years.

Floyd’s family held a vigil ahead of the trial, expressing hopes that there would be justice for the murder. Philonise, one of Floyd’s brothers, commented that he had a ‘big hole’ in his heart that cannot be ‘patched up’ after losing his brother. Activists still plan to take to the streets to express their satisfaction of justice being delivered.

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Dance community controversy – from Eurovision to professionalism

Dance community controversy - from Eurovision to professionalism
Apr 20 2021 Share

The announcement that Malta’s Eurovision Song Contest performance would not be featuring any Maltese dancers but instead four foreign dancers who will accompany Destiny Chukunyere to Rotterdam caused an intense uproar on social media. Many Maltese dancers took to social media to express their disappointment that despite having used Maltese dancers for Destiny’s video, no Maltese dancer would actually be accompanying her to the actual competition.

We were good enough to create the music video choreography and perform in it, but sadly to say foreign dancers were selected to represent Malta🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

Posted by Daphne Gatt on Sunday, 18 April 2021

Daphne Gatt, artistic director and choreographer for Kinetic Dance Academy, who also formed part of the official video for Je Me Casse, took to Facebook to state; ‘We were good enough to create the music video choreography and perform in it, but sadly to say foreign dancers were selected to represent Malta.’ These weren’t the only reactions to the post as various other dancers expressed their opinions;

GENUINE QUESTIONS:Is there a reason we always turn to foreign choreographers and dancers? How come local dancers are…

Posted by Kim Elloole on Sunday, 18 April 2021

The controversy however seems to have developed into what constitutes a professional dancer and what is amateur. The back-and-forth between dancers on various social media platforms resulted in the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) issuing a statement saying that it does not differentiate between dancers who have studied abroad or on the island, but we support ‘Quality and Standards’. MEIA also stated that ‘It is one of MEIA’s priority to establish the professional status of dance.’

In light of some comments that have been posted on social media, MEIA would like to reaffirm that it is the Voice of the…

Posted by MEIA – Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association on Tuesday, 20 April 2021

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Carbon emissions to rise in 2021 by second highest rate in history

Carbon emissions to rise in 2021 by second highest rate in history
Apr 20 2021 Share

2021’s global carbon emissions will surge by the second highest rate in history. If it sounds surprising, the rise is due to the pandemic’s effect on the world. Even though the Paris Agreement working to reduce greenhouse emissions by at least 40% by 2030 and the US’ Joe Biden’s pledge to reach net-zero emissions by no later than 2050, the emissions are forecasted to surge by 1.5 billion tonnes in 2020, making it a 5% rise.

The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Global Energy Review posted these forecasts and states that the 5% rise is the highest witnessed since the 2008 financial crisis. Fatih Britol, the IEA’s executive director, said that ‘it seems we are back on course to repeat the same mistakes. I am more disappointed this time than in 2010’.